| VEXED |

chapter | thirty six

Ethan's pov

Alex slipped out of my grasp quickly and began running towards the school exit. I went to go after her but Grayson grabbed my arm.  

"get your keys. she needs a minute by herself, let's meet her at the hospital." he looked into my eyes and I pulled away from him.

"Anyone who's going let's go, now hurry!" he ordered and I jogged towards my car. everyone piled in and I sped out of the parking lot

"I can't believe this." Elena cried. "Does Ryan know? they really can't take this right now." she put her head in her hands and Jackson rubbed her back. 

"That little girl is one of the most important things in Alex's life. she won't make it if she's dead." Elena shook her head quickly and I gripped the wheel speeding more.

"everything is going to be fine, calm down. we can't think like that." Grayson said quietly as he looked out the window. his leg was aggressively tapping as I approached the sign to the hospital. I quickly pulled in and everyone got out.

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Alex's pov

I ran up to the desk, I had makeup running all down my face and I was having a full-blown panic attack. "the- there was a little girl she was brought in from a ca- car accident." I managed to get out between my tears and the lady looked at me worryingly.

"I need to know if she's okay!" I yelled at her and she started typing away on the computer. "paisley?" she asked and I nodded quickly. "room 203." she smiled sympathetically and I began running down the hall.

I saw Ethan and everyone else coming through the doors. "where is she, is she okay?" Elena asked running up to me. "she's in room 203, that's all I know. call Ryan, tell him what's going on." I felt tears running down my face uncontrollably. 

I turned the corner of the hall and read the room numbers, finally, 203. I felt them running behind me. I swung the door open and saw paisley sitting on the bed, with a cop and doctor beside her.

she had a little cut on her head that they had bandaged up. "thank god." I cried covering my face for a moment. I wiped the makeup away and she looked at me with a half-smile. 

she jumped off the bed and ran over to me. "auntie awex." she hugged me tightly and I picked her up, holding her tightly in my arms. she still can't say my name right, but hearing those words sent relief through me. 

"im so glad you're okay baby girl." I cried into her shoulder. I can't be a wreck in front of her, she's only 5 she probably has no idea what's going on. 

I looked and the cop and the doctor, they returned a saddened look. "im sorry for your loss." they said as I moved her to the side of me. I nodded in response and looked at paisley's head. 

-

Elena was sitting with paisley for a moment while I got took a breath in the hall outside of the door. more like pacing in front of the door. 

"Alex." I heard a voice, and I saw Ryan turn the corner. his eyes were red and swollen. I felt tears coming to my eyes again as he walked towards me. 

he wrapped his arms around me tightly. "she's really gone Ryan." I cried into his shoulder. I heard him crying too, quietly. "what even happened, how did this even happen?" he stepped away from me and I shook my head.

"Ryan I don't know. they said they have to investigate what exactly went wrong. but Dani died from the impact." I wiped my face again. he glanced through the window at Elena and paisley playing with some toys.

"she's okay right?" he asked holding his face with his hand. "yeah, I honestly don't know how but she is." I looked at her perfect smile from the window. 

"Dani and I may not have always seen eye to eye, but she was still my sister." he breathed out and I saw another tear roll down his face. "I mean yeah, I didn't agree with some of her choices but family is family." my voice cracked. 

She and I have never really been that close, she's always been really distant when it came to us. but I was over there constantly throughout the years seeing paisley. paisley brought me out of a dark place when she was born.

she's always been my little girl. when Dani used to ask me to babysit her, I knew what it was for. she was making drug runs and drug deals. I never agreed with it, but I wasn't going to allow her to take her baby out like that. that's how paisley and I became so close, I practically raised her. I was just as much her mom as Dani was. 

"she wants you." Elena pointed stepping out of her room. "awex come watch tv with me." she pointed at the small tv in the hospital room. I smiled at her and stepped over to Ryan.

I put my hand on his arm and looked at him. we didn't speak, but somehow just by that little exchange, he knew what I was saying.

I walked into the room and laid on the bed with paisley. she was watching frozen, and she pulled the blanket over me. I felt her crawl closer to me, snuggling beside me.

I wrapped my arms around her and rested my head back.

-

Ethan 

I walked over to Ryan and Elena who were sitting in the chairs outside of paisley's room. "how're they doing?" I asked quietly and Ryan looked up. "they're asleep right now. they've both been through hell, along with me." he said in a low tone.

"I'm sorry about your sister. if there is anything I can do for you or your family please let me know." I offered and he smiled. "you're already giving Alexandra a place to stay, and for that im grateful." he nodded slowly and I half smiled in response.

I walked over to the window and looked inside at them. Alex had paisley wrapped in her arms, they were both knocked out. Grayson walked over to me and looked through the glass also. "why her, man?" he asked quietly. I heard the pain in his voice as he looked at her.

"I don't know." I shook my head looking at Alex. "out of everyone on this planet, why the girl who cares for everyone. she's so good, genuinely, morally good. she doesn't deserve this shit." I heard him getting choked up and I looked over at him.

"you really care about her don't you?" I asked, studying the pain on his face. "yeah Ethan, I do." he admitted looking back to her. 

the doctor walked over and looked at Ryan, she had a cop with her. "she's ready to be discharged. we just have a few things to discuss with your family first." she said softly and Ryan stood up walking into the room with them.

"you guys can come too if you want. you are practically family." Ryan held the door for us and I smiled warmly and walked in behind him.

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Feb 24th, 2020 

I have a mf ACT tomorrow. At least I get to leave afterward. If you're reading this, pray for me.